Mr. Bennett, Vermont 1944

Paul Strand made this gelatin silver print, "Mr. Bennett, Vermont," and it’s a head-and-shoulders portrait where light and shadow do all the work. There’s a real intimacy here, isn't there? Look at the surface, it's all about the tonal range, how the light delicately etches out the lines on Mr. Bennett's face, his weary eyes. This isn't about hiding anything, it's about revealing the process of living, of aging, of bearing witness. It’s stark, almost like a charcoal drawing with its focus on the gradations of grey. Think of the way the grain of the wood echoes the lines on Mr. Bennett's face, everything is connected, the man and his environment. In a way, Strand reminds me of Walker Evans, another photographer who found beauty in the everyday. It's like they're both saying, "Look, there's something profound in the ordinary, if you just take the time to really see."